# Set up automations

Choose when Jobs are created and check automatic messages, folder sharing, and retention.

Source: https://ziffa.io/user-guide/settings/automations

## Choose how far ahead Jobs are created

The current setting uses the older Deadline Tasks wording.

1. Open **Settings → Automations**.
2. Select **Edit** beside **Deadline Tasks**.
3. Choose **All due in the next** and the number of months, or **Only the next one**.
4. Save the setting.
5. Open Tasks and check the resulting work.

The default window is 12 months. Only the next one creates the next occurrence; the following occurrence becomes eligible after that due date has passed.

Changing the setting creates newly covered work immediately. Reducing the window does not delete Jobs already generated.

## Working hours per day

In **Deadline Tasks**, **Working hours per day** sets the hours used by the day shortcuts when entering a Job budget. The default is **8 hours**; accepted values run from **0.25** to **24** hours.

Changing it affects future uses of those shortcuts. It does not rewrite existing budgets, log time, or set a colleague's working schedule. Continue with [Plan next week's work](https://ziffa.io/user-guide/plan-next-week).

## Check reminders and other automations

Select **Edit** beside the section you want to change, then **Save changes**. **Cancel** keeps the saved values.

### Workspace defaults

| Field | What it controls |
| --- | --- |
| **Chase Emails** | Automatic client chases. **Active** allows regular chases; **Intitial Only** (the current label) allows initial emails only; **Do not send** disables emails governed by this setting. Explicit send actions, including issuing a fee adjustment, have their own behaviour. |
| **Default Currency** | The starting currency for new Service fees and the currency used by [fee adjustments](https://ziffa.io/user-guide/fee-adjustments). It does not convert existing client fees. |
| **Document Retention** | The number of days used by cleanup for Ziffa's stored document copies. The default is 365. This is separate from the files organised in your connected storage. Lowering it can make older copies eligible for deletion. Check your firm's retention policy before saving. |

The saved summary uses **Email mode**, **Default currency**, and **Document retention** for these fields.

### Storage

**Share client folders automatically** controls whether Ziffa automatically shares newly created shared folders with the main Contact's email address. Turning it off keeps folder creation enabled; your team shares folders in the storage provider instead. The saved summary shows **Automatic** or **Manual**.

A Service's **Do not share** choice is separate: it stops that Service from creating a shared folder. See [Collect client documents](https://ziffa.io/user-guide/collect-client-documents).

### Send for Signature and Send for Approval

These sections have separate settings:

| Field | What it controls |
| --- | --- |
| **Signature expiry** / **Approval expiry** | How many days a new request remains available. Enter at least one day. |
| **Signature reminders** / **Approval reminders** | Hours before expiry at which a reminder is due. **Add reminder** adds a time; remove a row to stop using that time. Each value must be a positive whole number smaller than the request's total expiry window. |

For example, a seven-day expiry with reminders at **72** and **24** hours means reminders three days and one day before expiry. An empty reminder list means no reminder times are configured. Saving changes the policy for newly prepared requests; check an existing request's own expiry separately.

These settings control timing, rather than sending a message immediately. Follow [Send a proposal or engagement document](https://ziffa.io/user-guide/send-proposal) to prepare a request.

For per-template reminder levels, timings, and collection links, follow [Configure client document reminders](https://ziffa.io/user-guide/settings/document-reminders). For automatic folder sharing, start with [Collect client documents](https://ziffa.io/user-guide/collect-client-documents#2-choose-how-the-client-will-provide-files).

## Check the message wording

Some messages are edited within Automations. For the separate template list, follow [Edit email templates](https://ziffa.io/user-guide/settings/email-and-automations).

Emails about unknown or invalid documents are configured per Service. See [Understanding document emails](https://ziffa.io/user-guide/document-emails).